technology

ASML’s “invisible monopoly” is indisputable. Although without the technology of these companies would not have reached the top

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“In 1997, Jos Benschop, the leader of the Investigation Department of ASMLreassess whether extreme ultraviolet technology (UVE) was a viable option. After the first tests he realized that Zeiss was able to develop extraordinarily sophisticated mirrors that would be necessary to transport ultraviolet light. Everything began to change: The puzzle pieces began to fit in their holes and that impossible machine was acquiring little by little. ” These lines come from the chapter entitled “An invisible monopoly” from the very interesting trial book “Focus: The Asml Way” written by Dutch journalist Marc Hijink. We have resorted to them to open this text for a weight reason: they perfectly condense the complexity of the lithography machine that has allowed ASML to lead the industry of the manufacturing equipment of chips alone. And it is that Europe has a voice in the integrated circuit industry thanks to this company of the Netherlands. ASML has no competition since its first UVE photolithography team placed on the market. Japanese Canon and Nikon companies, their natural competitors, also tried to develop this machine, but failed in the attempt. The technical and economic resources that were necessary to make it possible were so numerous that They decided to retire from the struggle with Asml. Free road. Today the most advanced semiconductor manufacturing machines that we can find in the TSMC, Intel, Samsung or SK Hynix plants produce ASML. Currently his reign seems imperturbable. Canon has developed a team of nano -impression lithography that it seeks to compete from you to you with the UVE machines of ASML, but for the moment it is not clear that this technology will be able to rival the most advanced team of the Dutch company: the machine of High Opening Photolithography (UVE). Intel is already testing it, and it is expected that TSMC and Samsung do so for the next few months. Presumably thanks to it they can produce chips of less than 1 nm before this decade expires. ASML does not walk alone UVE photolithography equipment is extraordinarily sophisticated. The GPUs for artificial intelligence more advanced from Nvidia; The most powerful soc that Apple or the CPUs with the highest AMD performance are possible thanks to them. Of course, none of these companies make their own chips. They design them, but they are produced by the Taiwanese company TSMC using ASML UVE lithography machines. However, this European Corporation has not developed solo all innovations that have made its most advanced integrated circuit production equipment possible. One of its most important allies is the American company Cymer. This company founded in 1986 specializes in the manufacture of lasers and deep ultraviolet light sources (UVP) and extreme (UVE). It has a very close relationship with ASML for many years; In fact, the role that Cymer manufactures in lithography machines is so relevant than in 2013 ASML bought this San Diego company with the purpose of investing in it to accelerate the development of the technologies involved in UVE lithography. The ultraviolet light transports the geometric pattern described by the mask to the surface of the Silicio wafer Somehow Cymer gives ASML the raw material that their photolithography machines need. And that raw material is none other than the ultraviolet light that is responsible for transporting the geometric pattern described by the mask so that it can be transferred with great precision to the surface of the Silicon wafer. Understanding what is the mask is simple: it is nothing other than a physical template that contains the design of the integrated circuit that is necessary to transfer to the Silicon wafer. During this transfer process a fine sheet of a substance sensitive to ultraviolet light is placed on the wafer and exposes the latter. The mask blocks or allows the passage of light in concrete regions of the wafer, thus transferring the chip pattern. Then the development, engraving and deposition processes follow each other whose purpose is, in broad strokes, transfer the different layers of the circuit integrated to the wafer and consolidate the transistors and interconnections that shape the chip. Interestingly, as we have just seen, the photolithography process is very similar to the chemical development of photographs. Of course, it is much more complex and requires working with resolutions that until a few years ago were unimaginable. Precisely thanks to the very high resolution with which it is possible to transfer the geometric pattern that describes the circuit integrated to the wafer today we enjoy Integrated 3 Nm circuits. And for 2025 they will be available The first 2 Nm semiconductors. Since we are involved in flour, it is worth investigating a little more in the characteristics of the light used by UVE lithography equipment. And its most striking property is that it belongs to the most energy portion of the ultraviolet region of the electromagnetic spectrum. In fact, its wavelength extends in the range that goes From 10 to 100 nanometers (NM). The problem is that it is not easy to generate and deal with this form of electromagnetic radiation. And it is not, among other reasons, because it is so energetic that it alters the structure of the physical elements with which it interacts inside the lithography machine. In addition, the UVE light must travel from the source to the silicon wafer without interacting with the slightest dust particle, so it is necessary that the entire chips production process be carried out inside a camera designed to provide a very quality vacuum. Anyway, the transport of ultraviolet light from the fountain that produces it to the wafer is only possible thanks to the intervention of the mirrors that the other great ally of ASML designs and manufactures: the German company Zeiss. If the mirrors involved in the propagation of the UVE light are not manufactured with enormous precision the geometric pattern defined by the mask will be altered The role of Zeiss’s optical elements in these lithography equipment is crucial. And it is because they are responsible, … Read more

Aliexpress anniversary with tons of offers in technology: these are the best

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The Black Friday or Christmas is not the only dates that we have available to save to the fullest in our purchases. There are other great events during the year, as is the case that it has just begun today: The Aliexpress Anniversary. Thanks to this new marketplace promotion, we have available a huge number of offers in all types of technological products. In addition, we also have the following discount coupons to save even more. code discount Minimum purchase Those02 2 euros 19 euros Those06 6 euros 39 euros Those08 8 euros 59 euros Those12 12 euros 89 euros Those20 20 euros 139 euros Those40 40 euros 239 euros Those60 60 euros 369 euros Those70 70 euros 469 euros All these codes They cannot accumulate or are valid with other promotionsIn addition to that they are not compatible with mobile phones or virtual products. The Aliexpress anniversary loaded with chollos begins Among all the offers we have available right now in technology, just then we leave you A selection of some of the most interesting: Asus Rog Allythe most powerful version of this portable console, by 384 euros with the code those60. Samsung Galaxy Watch5 Proa great smartwatch with a very elegant design, by 153 euros with the code those20. Sony PlayStation5 Prothe best console that Sony has to date, for 654.99 euros With the coupon those70. Xiaomi 14tan off -road mobile phone, by 365 euros. Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wirelessheadphones with good sound and great noise cancellation, by 190.15 euros With the coupon those20. Asus Rog Ally Although we have already available a new version of it, it is still a great time to get this version of the Asus Rog Allywhich comes with the Z1 Extreme chip. It is a powerful portable consoleideal for squeezing even demanding games. Thanks to what comes with Windows 11 we can also use services like Xbox Game Pass, giving rise to a huge games library. It comes out by 384 euros with the code those60. * Some price may have changed from the last review Galaxy Watch5 Pro The South Korean firm has also recently launched watches, but this Watch5 pro It is still one of its best proposals to date. It offers a fast and very fluid experience, in addition to having great autonomy supported by Wear OS. Ideal right now that we can get it for 153 euros with the code those20. * Some price may have changed from the last review Sony PlayStation 5 Pro The most powerful console that Sony has manufactured to date, its new PlayStation 5 ProThis new Aliexpress anniversary is also the protagonist. It is a console that will allow us squeeze all compatible games to the maximumwhich are not precisely few (and will be more in the future). It is true that it comes without a reader, although we can buy it apart when we need it. It comes out by 654.99 euros With the coupon those70. * Some price may have changed from the last review Xiaomi 14t If we are looking for a new mobile phone and want something with a great value for money, beware of this Xiaomi 14t. It is a great phone that counts With 6.67 -inch AMOLED screenGreat power thanks to its socio mediatek dimensity 8300 ultra and a rear camera system with triple sensor that will allow us to take good photos in any scenario. We have it available for 365 euros. * Some price may have changed from the last review Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless Great sound quality at a great price. That is right now what these sennheiser momentum 4 wireless offer us, some headphones that also stand out for being very comfortable to use and offer A autonomy of up to 60 hours per load (In addition to having fast charge). We can buy them in Aliexpress right now for 190.15 euros With the coupon those20. Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless * Some price may have changed from the last review Some of the links of this article are affiliated and can report a benefit to Xataka. In case of non -availability, offers may vary. Images | Aliexpress, Asus, Samsung, Sony, Xiaomi, Sennheiser In Xataka | The 17 best 2024 video games In Xataka | Best air fryers. Which to buy and 10 airfryers recommended from 50 euros

The bags in the US have collapsed. “The Magnificent Seven” of technology and crypts are the most affected

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Wall Street is having a 2025 especially black. In the last two years, the S&P 500 index, which brings together 500 of the most important companies in the US, has suffered a 7.39% drop in a month and is at levels of six months ago, just before the US presidential elections. The debacle has been especially notable for large technological ones, and cryptocurrencies have also suffered a remarkable collapse. What is happening? A drop of 5.5 billion dollars. According to The Kobeissi Letterin the last two months both the S&P 500 index and the cryptodivsis segment have seen how 5.5 billion dollars have evaporated. Most of these losses have occurred in the last month, and For example The Nasdaq is just 8% of falling to entering a bearish market for the first time since 2022 “. Investors don’t feel like risk. These experts speak of a sudden change in the “appetite for risk” and we have gone from “extreme greed” to “extreme fear”, which has made many investors rescue their positions to collect benefits. Risks to the US economy in 2025. The investment firm Apollo Global Management He pointed out in December that foresee a 0% probabilities of recession in the US in 2025, but that there was also 90% chance of tariffs starting (as it has been). To this is joined by the fact that cryptocurrencies, which had generated great expectation in 2024, now seem to be generating concernfor example after Trump’s announcement to create a strategic cryptor. Tariffs and fear of recession, probable causes. These forecasts are of course potential arguments to explain these great falls. The Aggressive tariff policy by Donald Trump and the fear of a recession – which the president himself He did not rule out– They are there, and have affected both the stock market values ​​and cryptocurrencies, which have been especially impacted. The “seven magnificent” in free fall. Apple (5%), Microsoft (2%), Alphabet (4%), Amazon (2%), Nvidia, Meta (4%) and Tesla (15%) have experienced significant falls. According to CNBC They lost 750,000 million dollars on Monday: it was the worst day of Nasdaq since 2022. These shares are 14% below their (recent) maximum values. And the crypts, even worse. In the last month Bitcoin has lost more than 15% of its value and It has passed of $ 97,000 levels to the current 81,000. Ethereum is having even worse: It has fallen almost 28 % in the same period. Other crypts such as XRP, Sun or Doge have recorded milder falls between 3% and 6%, but one thing is clear: the crypto segment continues to spread what happens in the technological one. In Europe (for the moment) the bags are not so affected. That volatility of the US Stock Exchange has impacted European stock markets, but for now it has not done so remarkably. The France of France and the FTSE of London fell about 0.9% and the Dax of Germany 1.75%. Meanwhile, in Spain Ibex 35 fell 1.41%, but the next few days and weeks will undoubtedly decisive for the march of markets. Image | Maxim Hopman In Xataka | The United States has decided to start a tariff war. Videogames in physical format will pay Caro

In 1996, Bill Gates saw Microsoft’s dominance in a revolutionary technology

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The recent history of technology has left countless samples that, being a reference in any sector is a double -edged sword. On the one hand, it allows you to act from a position of domination of the market, but on the other it makes you Diana of all your competition. In 1996, Bill Gates, one of the most men influential and rich in the worldhe had a great concern about him advance of a new technology that took the dream: Java, a tool that, as Gates himself confessed in an email, threatened Microsoft’s dominance In the market. Bill Gates’s great fear was not Apple According to a conversation revealed by The X accountInternal Tech Emails, in September 1996, Gates admitted Nathan Myhrvold, then Microsoft technology director and Coinventor of more 800 patentswhich was “literally losing the dream” due to the impressive ability of Java. In his mail, Gates was worried about not finding a Strategy to protect Microsoft of The huge possibilities that offered this new technology. “It seems that people could make people make competitive operating systems,” wrote the millionaire. To deal with this threat, Myhrvold wanted to take some seriousness to the matter, and proposed A strategy based on “adopt and extend”. A winning plan, although controversial This tactic consisted of two main parts: first, Microsoft would announce its support for standardization and collaborate with other organizations to develop that technology among all. Then, in the “extend” phase, Microsoft would implement the Java standard, but would add exclusive and differentiated features For Microsoft users. This would create one competitive advantage for your company and would motivate users of other brands that only offered the “basic standard”, to change the products of the Gates company. Myhrvold’s strategy turned out to be very effective for Microsoft since it managed to consolidate the Windows leadership in the market, with functions that no other operating system offered. However, it was also considered abusive. The United States Department of Justice came to “adopt, extend and extinguish” In one of your opinionsdue to the negative impact on the competition that this strategy proposed by Myhrvold had. There is always a stalking risk That a millionaire like Gates ensure that a new risk makes him “lose sleep” is no exception. Much less in the technological field, where innovation Makes the highest towers fall and makes David more insignificant into an untouchable Goliath overnight. Ask Nokia Oa Deepseek. In fact, the fear that an enemy arises from nothing and ruin all work What your company has done is a recurring fear in the CEO of large companies called “CEO paranoia“ Jensen Huang, CEO of one of the world’s greatest technology, claims to be obsessed with making a mistake in your management and that your company is ruined. “I think that when you built a company from scratch, you have experienced real adversity and have been about to close several times, that feeling remains with you,” said Huang in a Interview at the New York Times Dealbook Summit. For its part, Peter Beck, founder and executive director of the aerospace company Rocket Labhe was also very concerned about the decisions he made at the forefront of a company that participates in the current space race. “I can’t imagine getting home and sleeping deeply every night; that is simply tangible,” assured Beck a CNBC. Jeff Bezos, after raising two empires from nowhere in two different sectors, also confessed that one of its main fears They were the garagesreferring precisely to Two students from a garage They could develop the next great technological idea that unbank their companies in the current domain position. In Xataka | In 1980, Bill Gates delivered 8.75% of Microsoft to sign his friend: today Steve Ballmer is richer than Gates Image | Flickr (Billionaires Success)

A study has revealed how much technology pays in Spain

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Compare it what companies of companies charge It is one of the most effective tools to know what range the remuneration of a certain sector For a certain vacancy or the time of request a salary. However, companies on a very rare occasion make that information public. The Manfred Technological Employment Platform have developed the study ‘Salary comparative of the Tech sector in Spain 2025‘In which, crossing the salary data of five companies operating in Spain, they have been able to establish salary bands for different corporate steps. The importance of salary transparency. In Spain it is not very common for companies to announce the salary bands for each profile and their career plans, although this helps all employees to understand how they can grow within the company and how much they can win. For that reason, in 2023 a New European regulations that will force companies to be more transparent with salaries. That information is relevant when request a salary or know if the salary of a certain job offer adapts to the average values ​​of the sector. Salaries in five technology. To carry out its study, Manfred has analyzed the public salary ranges and scales of Cabify, Alan and Factorial. On the other hand, external sources such as Glassdoor or Levels.fyi To know the data of Glovo and N26. Mandred has analyzed Salary progression For the different software engineering roles, depending on the experience and responsibility of the position, from the most junior profiles to the standing or principal standing positions. In addition, having 2022 datawe can see the salary evolution that these positions have had. Roles and salary profiles of the five companies Source: Manfred.com Where does it charge more and where does it rise faster? According to the study, Alan and Glovo are the companies that offer highest wages For positions of greater responsibility. Specifically, a main engineer can win up to 170,000 euros a year in Alan, and a salary of 150,000 euros annually plus 22,000 euros of variable bonus in Glovo. As for Junior profiles, it is Alan again who best pays its new employees, with salaries ranging between 45,000 euros and 48,000 euros per year. As for the speed with which It can be promoted and increase salary, the situation is somewhat more complex. Companies such as Factorial or Alan have many intermediate salary scales, which could be derived in periods of promotion between 12 and 18 months to the lowest profiles. The authors of the study consider that Glovo is the company where an elevated salary (more than 80,000 euros) can be achieved in less time. However, this process may require a career with more than 10 years of experience. Salary evolution since 2022. In general terms, salaries in the Spanish technology sector have improved considerably since 2022, especially in the most experienced positions. For example, in factorial, the highest salary ranges have improved between 15,000 euros and 30,000 euros a year thanks to the incorporation of a variable bonus. In Cabify, Senior and Staff roles have grown between 13,000 and 30,000 euros a year, while in Glovo, L4 and L5 ranges have increased between 20,000 and 30,000 euros a year in the last three years. In Xataka | The salary remains a source of job dissatisfaction: six out of ten employees consider that it charges little Image | Unspash (Sigmund)

These are your best offers in technology

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Although for the change of station there are still just over two weeks, the last promotion of Aliexpress, called Long live spring, It is just a few hours after finishing. We have a discounts up to 60% To take advantage of a huge variety of devices, although only until 23:59 tonight. Next, we leave you some discount codes that we can use so that our purchases leave a little cheaper: code discount Minimum purchase ESCD02 or CDES02 2 euros 19 euros ESCD05 or CDES05 5 euros 39 euros ESCD10 or CDES10 10 euros 79 euros ESCD20 or CDES20 20 euros 159 euros ESCD30 or CDES30 30 euros 239 euros ESCD40 or CDES40 40 euros 349 euros ESCD50 or CDES50 50 euros 439 euros All these codes They cannot accumulate or are valid with other promotionsIn addition to that they are not compatible with mobile phones or virtual products. Last hours to take advantage of Aliexpress spring Renewing device is always cheaper if we have a promotion as spring. As there is a lot to choose from, we leave you below A selection of the best offers: Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Fean excellent quality-price tablet, by 248.68 euros with the ESCD30 code (or CDES30). Little x7 proa very balanced mobile phone, by 263.55 euros. Headphones Sony Wh-1000xm4great sound quality and fantastic noise cancellation, for 202.54 euros. Nintendo Switch Litethe most economical version of the console, by 141.98 euros. Nubia Z60s Proa telephone with a great processor and very good fast charge, for 379.01 euros. Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Fe A tablet is a very versatile device, ideal both to work and to enjoy our leisure time. This one from Samsung, as usually happens with its Fan Edition models, stands out for having A great balance between features and price. It stands out for its SOC (an exynos 1380) and for its 10.9 -inch screen. And be careful, because it comes with the S-PEN, which is an addition of the most useful. It comes out by 248.68 euros with the ESCD30 code (or CDES30). * Some price may have changed from the last review Little x7 pro At this price, it is difficult to find a device that offers as much as this Little x7 pro. It is a mobile phone that comes with a 6.67 -inch AMOLED screen (1.5K resolution), a Dimensity 8400 ultra chip inside And a huge 6,000 mah battery that we can load in a sigh thanks to its compatibility with fast charging of up to 90 W. Right now we can buy it for 263.55 euros. * Some price may have changed from the last review Sony Wh-1000xm4 Sound quality, great noise cancellation and an experience that has little rival. So are these Sony Wh-1000xm4highly recommended headphones for all those users who are looking for Something comfortable to use to enjoy the best sound. They arrived at stores at a price of almost 370 euros, but right now we can buy them for 202.54 euros. * Some price may have changed from the last review Nintendo Switch Lite It is true that Nintendo Switch 2 It is just around the corner, but it is still a great time to take a switch home, especially the Lite model. It is a console that stands out for being economic and laptopbut above all for having access to a gigantic jewelry catalog, among which plays such as Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom either Super Mario Bros. Wonder (among many others). Costs 141.98 euros. * Some price may have changed from the last review Nubia Z60s Pro Another great option if we are looking for a new phone is this cloud z60s pro. It is a very powerful device Thanks to its snpadragon 8 gen 2In addition, it has a 6.78 -inch AMOLED screen with 120 Hz of refreshment rate. Its photographic system stands out a lot, a triple camera system that is off -road and that will allow us to take very good photos regardless of the stage. It comes out by 379.01 euros. * Some price may have changed from the last review Some of the links of this article are affiliated and can report a benefit to Xataka. In case of non -availability, offers may vary. Images | Chi Liu in Unspash (with edition), Aliexpress, Samsung, Little, Nintendo, Sony, Zte In Xataka | The 17 best 2024 video games In Xataka | Best air fryers. Which to buy and 10 airfryers recommended from 50 euros

Nvidia lost 265,000 million dollars yesterday. Tariffs have caused terror among technology

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Nvidia lost 265,000 million dollars yesterday. It was an especially Aciaga for her, with 8.69% fall in the value of her action, but the day was dyed red throughout the technology industry. The trigger for that setback in the bags was clear: the tariffs. Donald Trump confirms tariffs. After announce tariffs to Canada and Mexicothe US president initially postponed his application, but yesterday announced that they would definitely enter into force as of today. It is a controversial measure that will make imports from Mexico and Canada apply 25%tariffs, which will make these goods more expensive. Immediate drop in bags. Trump’s announcement caused a clear collapse of several technological actions, but Nvidia was undoubtedly one of the most affected, with a fall of 8.69%. Intel lost 4.05%, Broadcom by 6.05%, and supermicro 13%. The red numbers were seen in much of the technological market, with all the great affected, although to a lesser extent than Nvidia. The indices confirm the fall. As They point The Kobeissi Letter analysts, the S&P index already opened down, and Trump’s announcement quickly precipitated the fall: in just six hours the values ​​included in this index had lost more than 100 points, about 1.5 billion dollars jointly. Nvidia’s shares has returned to September 2024 levels. Source: Google Finance. Relationship with Mexico. Although most Nvidia chips are manufactured in Taiwan, some of their most advanced systems and equipment based on these chips are manufactured in other regions that include both the US and Mexico. That means that these products would be affected by these tariffs. Curiously, Trump’s announcement did nothing but reaffirm Mexico’s plans with the Foxconn plant in Jalisco: it will be the most important assembly factory of the GB200 cards with Nvidia Blackwell architecture, and those responsible for They promised which will be finished in a year despite tariffs. TSMC and its project in the US. Trump took advantage of a conference yesterday to confirm The announcement of TSMC, which will invest 100,000 million dollars more – he had yet paid 65,000 million – in manufacturing plants on American soil. Nvidia indicated in CNBC that would manufacture chips in those facilities, which would allow tariffs. In Nvidia they are still optimistic. In spite of everything, Huang Indian A few days ago this second quarter of the year promises to be positive for the company. Everything has already prepared to manufacture their new chips with Blackwell architecture, and have corrected the defects that were detected in the first phases of production. Crypts also collapse. He announcement of strategic cryptor He had promoted the value of cryptocurrencies, but yesterday’s events also remarkably affected this market. Bitcoin lost more than 8%value, Ethereum almost 15%, XRP 17.61%, Solana 19.57%and adapt 18%. These were the five cryptocurrencies mentioned by Trump for that initiative, and the fall was huge in all of them. Image |Hillel Steinberg In Xataka | ‘The Nvidia Way’: This book is the perfect tool to understand how Jensen Huang has taken Nvidia to the top of success

Telefónica’s plan to convert their networks into platforms against large technology

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In a huge stand of the MWC 2025 Get chaired by the slogan ‘Leading Change, Inspiral Progress’, Telefónica has deployed its arsenal of corporate alliances around Open Gateway. Chema Alonso, visible face of the digital transformation of the Teleco, has presented a series of agreements that allow to glimpse the real strategy of the operator: convert their networks, so far mere highways, on platforms that generate income. An old yearning. He has not done it alone: ​​the presentation has been a parade of managers of several companies and institutions supporting the projected. Open Gatewayin fact, it is not new. The GSMA initiative has been promising to transform telecommunications networks into open platforms through standardized APIs. And according to GSMA data, it is present in 28 markets. What is most striking is the accelerated rhythm with which Telefónica is closing agreements: more than 50 large companies and 20 commercial partners, according to the numbers that Alonso has shared. Chema Alonso during the presentation of Open Gateway at the MWC 2025. Image: Xataka. Among the most important ads is The expansion of your collaboration with Tiktok for Europe. The Chinese platform will use the numbers verification API to simplify the user registration, eliminating the SMS passage. But the really interesting thing is the joint creation of a new API called “AGE VERIFICATION“, which will arrive first to Brazil and then expand to other markets. Reading between the lines is clear: Telefónica has found a way to monetize its privileged position as identity validityan increasingly valuable asset in the digital ecosystem. The agreement with Cabify follows the same logic: provide identity verification to expedite records. In the demo there has been a saving of ten seconds: a message no longer comes, everything happens “inside”, automatically and invisible to the user. What was previously a simple SMS is now reconvigned in a premium service that companies will be willing to pay. Cabify is an example. Carlos Herrera, Cto de Cabify, along with Chema Alonso in the demo of the API. Image: Xataka. Telefónica is transforming what was previously an operational cost into a source of income. A good play … in the absence of seeing the real business volume it generates. Then there is the protocol with the Community of Madrid. What the administration wants with Open Gateway is to “optimize internal processes.” In Health, Transportation, Justice and Tourism. Movistar is positioned as well as Technological intermediary between citizens and public services. This is a space traditionally played by great technological ones, so Telefónica has found here a space to achieve one of its great desires: to be seen as another technological and not only as a telecommunications provider. The agreements with two heavyweights, AWS and Google Cloud close the circle: With Amazon, Telefónica will create an innovation center to develop SAAS products aimed at operators. With Google you will integrate Open Gateway in Firebase to offer authentication to more than 3 million developers. Christiaan Brand, from Firebase, along with Chema Alonso during the presentation. Image: Xataka. It is striking that other operators such as AT&T, Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile and Telenor are also adding to this last initiative, indicating a coordinated effort of the sector to recover relevance against technological platforms. They have good reasons to form a common front. The question that floats in the Barcelona air is If these APIs will be enough to rebalance the balance of power. For years, telecos have seen how technology built multimillionaire empires on their networks while they were relegated to connectivity suppliers Comoditized. Open Gateway is its commitment to capture part of the value that passes through its networks. The challenge is to execute this vision in a usually slow sector when innovating. And above all, when displaying. APIS standardization through Camara Project (developed by GSMA and Linux Foundation) is a step in the right direction, but operators will have to demonstrate that they can move at the speed required by the industry. No one knows if this strategy will translate into the long -awaited year for relevance in the digital ecosystem, but we do know that Telefónica is clearer than ever its position: It does not want to be the highway, but also who controls a part of the traffic. Outstanding image | Xataka In Xataka | Consolidation or irrelevance: Marc Murtra launches an ultimatum to the EU in his debut as president of Telefónica

Good news for China, not so much for the western technology industry

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The Democratic Republic of Congo (RDC) has established a measure that will affect cobalt exports. No more cobalt? The market regulation and control authority of strategic mineral substances (Arecoms) has announced that cobalt exports will be detained for at least four months. According to He explained Its president, Patrick Luabya, the decision seeks to control the supply of cobalt in an international market that is facing an overproduction of metal. The importance of cobalt. There is a common metal that both electric vehicles and mobile devices and other technologies share: cobalt. In this century, I know has promoted its demand. However, the production of cobalt in the RDC, which represents around 70% of the world supply, has fallen together with the lithium. This has caused other cobalt producers, such as Russia and Australia, to win more prominence. The reason for the oversupply has been the increase in production by From the Chinese company CMOCsince he has doubled his extraction in two large mines in the country. This situation has had an impact on supply and demand, causing a price drop. In fact, according to Fastmarkets data, cobalt reference prices They have dropped out of 10 dollars per pounda level that had not been seen in more than 20 years. The current impact on the global market. Despite this fall, the markets have entered into tension with the measure taken by RDC. But they have been able to breathe calm because the suspension of exports have not meant an immediate change in the price of cobalt. However, market experts consider that, in the short term, this action could generate a market stiffnesssince cobalt stocks will accumulate in the RDC instead of going to Chinese deposits, as is often the case. China. Although the suspension of exports has not yet affected prices, this can benefit the Asian country. Chinese companies, which They already control A significant part of the offer and cobalt production may be strengthened from this crisis. In fact, China It has access to other cobalt sources Like Australia, Russia and Indonesia. Particularly the latter has great cobalt reservations and has experienced significant growth in its production. In addition, the Congo decision has reinforced China’s domain, while the West faces greater difficulties in ensuring essential materials for technological and energy sectors. In this way, the Asian country has taken a dominance position in front “The war of tariffs” against Donald Trump. It should be added that the latter You will need many materials That has China. The western technology industry. The measure has directly affected the technological sector of Europe and the United States, since they depend on the cobalt to make batteries of electric vehicles and electronic devices. However, the Democratic Republic of the Congo seeks to redefine its role in the global market And he has asked Europe and the United States for help through an agreement. In this approach, the African country has established an agreement by which they offer strategic minerals in exchange for support for the stability and development of the country. This proposition starts from the RDC is facing internal tensions. In particular, the east of the Congo is being the scene of armed conflictssome with alleged relationship with Rwandawhich has intensified the violence in rubber and bukavu, both border cities with Rwanda are known for their mines rich in different elements. With this proposal, the RDC expects to attract Western investment and reduce its dependence on China in the mining sector. It remains to be seen if the United States and Europe will accept the agreement, which would allow them to ensure more stable access to these strategic resources. Copper. It should be noted that the cobalt is mainly extracted as an byproduct of copper in the Congo. The suspension of cobalt exports It will not affect Production or copper exports, another key mineral that Congo also produces in large quantities. This means that, although the export of cobalt is limited, copper exports will follow its normal course, without important changes. The suspension of exports will continue for three more months and will be revalued. During this period we will have to be attentive to future actions of the West and as China will redraw the energy map. Image | The International Institute for Environment and Development (IED) Xataka | The cobalt is what triggers the price of batteries. Japan has just found a much cheaper alternative

Xataka and range bumpers join to bring you the funniest technology in a biweekly program

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Passionate about technology, today we have great news for you: our friends from Range stops and Xataka come together to offer you biweekly a program dedicated to technology from the most fun and entertainment point of view. You can follow Crossover’s complete programs from Your Dedicated YouTube channel And also not miss any of his best moments on Instagram (@CrosSoverofc), Tiktok (@CrosSoverofc) and Twitter (@CrosSoverofc). In addition, we will notify you in Xataka of the new programs that are published. This week’s program is now available and cargadito is loaded: we review what is known about GTA VI, we talk about the 16E iPhone, the Tiktok goalkeeper visits us (attention), we tried a “pin” of artificial intelligence and attentive because someone very very Xataka’s known makes a special appearance. Are you going to miss it? The Xataka section: a review of the devices that give us the most nostalgia, ordered from better to worse Within the program presented by Carlos and Jaume, from Xataka we have a section, presented by our beloved and admired Javier Pastorin which we review the best (and worst) of the most nostalgic devices we remember. In the first program, Javier goes with everything and dares with retro games and 8 -bit computers. Here you can see the full section: You know: we are waiting for you every two weeks with a new program, full of technology, and with a new section of Xataka, which will bring the passionate of great memories. Thanks for following us! On YouTube | Crossover

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